New Horse Noodles Closing After 5 Months, Ex-Fintech Hawker Says: ‘The Lifestyle Is Not What We Really Want’
Brothers Scott Lee, 29, and Troy Lee, 31, traded finance careers for handmade Hakka yong tau foo and Malaysian-style noodles. Now, after five months of running New Horse Noodles at Chinatown Complex Food Centre, they’re hanging up their aprons.
In a video announcement, the siblings shared that their last day of business will be Sunday, Oct 25.
When contacted by 8days.sg, Scott confirms the closure. Asked what led to the decision, he says: “The lifestyle is not what we really want.”
Scott declined to elaborate further, saying the brothers will share more in upcoming videos on their own social media platforms.
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70 hour work weeks
When 8days.sg last spoke to the brothers, they shared that they had invested about $20,000 of their savings in the venture. Scott, a former fintech product manager, previously earned between $5,000 and $10,000 a month, while Troy was a trader.
The switch came with long hours and a much smaller pay cheque. Scott said he was probably earning “less than minimum wage”, with both brothers clocking around 70 hours a week. Even their only day off involved preparing food for the next working day.
Learnt recipe from an 85-year-old Malaysian hawker
Their venture grew out of a shared love of food. Scott explained that he had left corporate life in search of more satisfying work and became a food blogger alongside Troy.
Their makan adventures eventually took them to an 85-year-old Hakka hawker in Malacca. The siblings trained with her for 10 days before bringing her yong tau foo recipe to Singapore.
They paired the handmade pieces with Malaysian-style dry noodles — the dish they had repeatedly travelled across the Causeway to eat.
The stall sells Handmade Hakka Yong Tau Foo Set ($6.50), pairing stuffed tau pok, tofu, tau kee and bitter gourd in soup with Malaysian-style dry noodles. During our visit, we enjoyed the springy noodles tossed in mildly sweet dark soy sauce and sesame oil, with minced pork, fried shallots and crunchy pork lard. The broth, simmered with carrots and corn, had a pleasant natural sweetness.
Still planning their next move
Scott says the brothers are still deciding what comes next and will update their vlogs once their plans are confirmed.
In their farewell video, the siblings thanked customers for their support, sharing that they had met many great people and welcomed diners from all over to try their food.
Those hoping to squeeze in a final visit have until Oct 25. The brothers advise coming before 1pm.
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